Gromniak Family Memories

Bernadine Gromniak Kennedy visits Plymouth, PA in August 2000

Vincent Gromniak's Farm at Fairmont Springs-Benton, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania

Peter and Anna Gromniak's Wedding Memento from St. Ann Church

Joseph Gromniak's Memories of Life in Poland (Not Yet Added)

Peter Gromniak's Life in the Coal Mines (Not Yet Added)

Youngest son, Tony Gromniak (Not Yet Added)

1 February 2001

Vincent Gromniak was not entirely illiterate. He was able to read and write in Polish but could not in English.  I myself saw him sign his name on some papers that my dad had for him. This in itself was unusual because most Polish immigrants of that time were illiterate. My Kravitz grandparents were not able to read or write however and I did see my grandfather sign an X  for his name. This was for a receipt to my mother for rent payment while we lived in his house. (Isn't it odd that this was necessary). The story of why Vincent was able to read and write was that while he was a tenant on the farm in
Poland, it was his job to wagon into town to pick up the mail. Somehow this gave him an opportunity to learn to read or maybe he had to be able to read to do this job. This was told to me by Poppy.

(My Dad told me that the farm in Poland belonged to the Radziwal Family,  the ancestors of the husband of Jackie Kennedy's sister.)

On August 19, 2000, I had the occasion to visit the Pennsylvania area of my family origin.  I was there to joining nursing classmates for a reunion.  Since Jack, my brother, is married to Irene, one of my classmates; he was there also.  After the picnic, we took the time to do some genealogical sleuthing.

      We traveled the streets of Plymouth, PA.  Since it has been over 40 years since we lived there, our memory of street names needed refreshing.  Using the information given by my father, Peter, many years ago, we determined that the address to which Petronela went upon arrival in Pennsylvania was Templeton's Alley (off Main Street across from and near Blair St).   This is where Vincent and his oldest son, John had lived.  Later, the entire family moved to Kuschke (sic) Street off Flat Road.  Their house was in the middle of the block on the right side of the street coming from Flat Road.  They lived there until they were displaced by a flood.  This area is in lowlands and had almost no protection from the Susequehanna River.  Needless to say, this was not the most desirable part of town.  They left there to move to the farm in Fairmont.

      The farm was purchased using the coal mining wages of all the men.  All the sons had gone to work at the colliery at young ages (eight years old).  Joseph and Peter remained in town when Vincent moved on to the farm and boarded with town people so that they could continue to work in the mines.  Peter Gromniak lived with the Perlick Family (corner of Main St and Flat Road.)

      We found our way to Fairmont Springs to St Martha's new church and old cemetery.  I was last at this place for the funeral of my grandmother when I was 12 years old.  I did not attend my grandfather's funeral in 1958.  There are not many graves in the entire cemetery.   It is located on a steep hill and the soil is poor.  I remember my father, his brother, Tony and perhaps others digging their mother's grave in frozen soil on a very cold November day.  Her funeral had to be delayed a day so that they could do this work themselves.  They were poor people.  Their way was hard.  God rest their souls.

Bernadine Gromniak Kennedy

August 31, 2000

Vincent Gromniak is remembered as man who spoke little and when he did, spoke slowly.  He was illiterate and signed his name using a "X".  Throughout his life, he maintained a bushy red mustache.  Of note, in 1987 Vincent's great grandson grew a mustache during an extended deployment aboard a US Navy submarine.  To the bemusement of all aboard and his own bewilderment, the mustache was bright red.  A mystery that remained unexplained until Vincent's red facial hair was recalled by a relative.